New ebook distribution platform launched in Japan

NTT DOCOMO, INC. and Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) announced today that they will partner in an electronic publishing business covering content aggregation, distribution and retail sales of e-books, which DOCOMO customers in Japan will access with a variety of mobile devices from this fall.

The business will use an open platform by combining DOCOMO’s existing content-distribution and payment systems with DNP’s planned hybrid digital/physical bookstores.

Initially targeting DOCOMO customers, the business will sell e-books via a mobile bookstore that users will access with DOCOMO wireless devices, including mobile phones, smartphones, tablet computers and e-book readers. The store will launch with more than 100,000 titles, including electronic books, manga comics, magazines and newspapers.

DOCOMO and DNP also are discussing the possible formation of a joint-venture company, collaborations with publishers and mobile-device manufacturers, and expansion into overseas markets.

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Nate Hoffelder is the founder and editor of The Digital Reader:"I've been into reading ebooks since forever, but I only got my first ereader in July 2007. Everything quickly spiraled out of control from there. Before I started this blog in January 2010 I covered ebooks, ebook readers, and digital publishing for about 2 years as a part of MobileRead Forums. It's a great community, and being a member is a joy. But I thought I could make something out of how I covered the news for MobileRead, so I started this blog."